


A Narrow Escape

by Vyc



Series: Time-Strengthened Ties [1]
Category: Tales of Graces, Tales of Graces f
Genre: AU, Gen, Humour, Lineage & Legacies, M/M, Matchmaking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-22
Updated: 2013-03-22
Packaged: 2017-12-06 02:19:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/730474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vyc/pseuds/Vyc
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Asbel has escaped a terrible fate. Hubert isn't so lucky.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Narrow Escape

**Author's Note:**

> Essentially, this is an AU involving a few of the things I wished I could have seen more of in Graces. Those things were:
> 
> 1\. A much longer Childhood arc--in this case, nearly a year.  
> 2\. More realistic politics.  
> 3\. The Lhant boys doing the jobs they're suited for. So, in this 'verse, Asbel passes the title of Lord of Lhant to Hubert and replaces Malik at the Knight Academy.  
> 4\. Asbel and Richard as a couple, raising Sophie together.
> 
> There isn't really anything else that's necessary to know for this one. As I upload more in this 'verse, I'll elaborate further. So yeah.

One of Asbel's favourite times of day was the evening, when his work was finished. It wasn't that he disliked his job at the Knight Academy—far, _far_ from it—but evening was when he got to spend time with his family. He and Richard and Sophie would talk, or play games together, or even just read quietly in the same room or get caught up on work. Even if they weren't doing anything together, it was . . . cozy. Just listening to Richard sip his tea or Sophie sigh contentedly as she finished a storybook was enough to make him happy.

Today was one of those quiet times; he still had a little correspondence from the academy to look at before the next day. Or at least, that's what he had thought when he'd grabbed the mail from his office on the way out, but—

"Oh, hey, Hubert sent a letter," Asbel said in pleased surprise. There was no mistaking that tiny, painfully neat handwriting.

Sophie immediately sat up and closed her book; Richard's pen stopped on the page and he looked up from his desk.

"What did he say?" Sophie asked.

"Let's see. . . ." Asbel slit open the envelope with the letter-opener and tugged out the letter.

"'Greetings,'" he read aloud. "'The transferal of Lhant back to Windor continues at an acceptable pace. Please convey my gratitude to King Richard for his role in this matter.'"

Richard smiled. "Gratitude received."

Asbel chuckled, then skimmed along the letter. "I'm going to skip ahead a bit—he gets pretty detailed and you guys don't need to hear that right now." He flipped over the page. ". . . Geez, Hubert. Oh, here we go.

"'I must confess, you seem to be far more intelligent than I originally gave you credit for' —hey. 'Since assuming the role of Lord of Lhant, our mother has been pestering me without ceasing to choose a suitable wife and produce an heir.'"

Asbel covered a grin. Suddenly, the writing had started to press much harder into the page; there was even one spot where Hubert's pen had torn it.

"'It is infuriating! I have explained on numerous occasions that restoring Lhant is my primary concern and I cannot afford to be distracted from my work, but to no avail. She insists that I spend valuable time considering the marriage proposals that are constantly pouring in, but I _cannot_ bring myself to do so. They are ridiculous! One of them even came from a thirteen-year-old girl—a child! _Absurd_!' Oh wow, he underlined that one twice."

He looked up to see what the other two thought, and— "Richard, come on. He's really upset."

Richard made a few coughing sounds and dragged his expression to neutrality. "I was beginning to get that idea, yes."

"Why do so many people want to marry Hubert?" Sophie wanted to know.

"Oh, uh." Asbel scratched the back of his head. "It's because he's the Lord of Lhant now. That means anyone who marries him will get a title and a lot of money and will get to live in the manor with him."

"Oh." Sophie seemed to think this over. "So if you had been the Lord of Lhant, lots of people would have wanted to marry you?"

"Yeah, I guess. To be honest, I've never really thought about it."

He wasn't so sure he wanted to, either. It was a weird idea and didn't really sit all that well with him.

He turned his attention back to Hubert's letter. The writing seemed a little more normal at this next part; Hubert must have taken a breather or something. "'However, don't think you've escaped entirely, Asbel. I am most certain our mother will insist upon a royal wedding for you when she finds herself unable to make headway with me. I would advise you to prepare yourself accordingly.'"

"Are you going to get married, Asbel?" Sophie asked. She probably thought he was finished with the letter, given he'd stopped reading to blink at the page a few times.

"Huh?" He looked up at her. "No, I'm not—at least, not yet," he added. "I've got lots of stuff to do first, and so does Richard. Right?"

". . . Yes, that's quite right," Richard confirmed after a pause.

Satisfied that everything was now cleared up, Asbel went back to the letter. "Let's see. . . . There's a lot more business stuff. . . ." He tucked the second page behind the others. ". . . Oh, good. 'Please tell Sophie that her sopherias continue to bloom and, thanks to the efforts of our mother, are in excellent health. She is missed by the people of Lhant, as, it seems, are you, Asbel.

"'I expect a prompt response to those matters I have brought to your attention. I await your thoughts.

"'Sincerely, Hubert Oswell, Lord of Lhant.'"

Asbel smiled and set the letter on a side table. "He sure is terrible at saying how he feels."

"Why do you say that?" Sophie wanted to know.

"It's easier for him to say that the people of Lhant miss you and Asbel than for him to say that he misses you himself," Richard answered. "It feels safer to have that barrier in place and yet it still allows him to say what he means—more or less."

"But why would it be dangerous?" she pressed.

"Hubert's still getting used to having friends again," Asbel replied, giving her a smile to hopefully prevent her from worrying. "But thanks to you and the others, he's already come a long way."

"Asbel? Can we go see Hubert? So he won't be lonely."

"That's a good idea, Sophie. Maybe you and I can pay him a visit soon," he said and met Richard's eyes.

Richard nodded. "I think you'd make him very happy, Sophie." And then his smile turned into a smirk. "As you would make Lady Kerri very happy, Asbel."

Asbel tried not to wince. On second thought . . . maybe this wasn't such a good idea, after all. . . .


End file.
